New AT ART and OC9 cartridges

@avanti1960 

Can you expand on "big winners" a bit so that there is some substance on which to build an opinion?  Maybe a list of equipment used for your evaluation?  Setup?  Evaluation criteria?  (Tonal balance, details, image, soundstage, dynamics, quietness / black background, transparency, other as applicable)

The latest ART9XA and XI are big winners. 

ART series changed a lot over the time, if you will look at the cantilever/stylus assembly on the latest you will realize it’s completely different, not AT’s unique anymore. On older ART series there was a Gold-Plated Boron cantilever. New cantilever/stylus assembly is just what you can see on other cartridges from some other manufacturers. I think they are trying to make it cheaper in production.

I enjoyed ART-2000 series, a limited edition model from the past, made 21 years ago. Even if the ART and OC9 share the same design, the ART series is different and always step up (with some special features).

I'm curious as well.

The newer OC9's have a thicker stylus. How that relates to SQ with the same internals(guessing) is what I'd like to know.

I went from the OC9III to 1s gen ART9. Satisfying upgrade. Maxed my financial tolerance level($1K). Due for another ART9, and probably will get the XA.